Stabilizing device



Feb. 11, 1964 R. 1... FINCH 3,120,951

STABILIZING DEVICE Filed Oct. 10, 1961 IN VEN TOR. 1P0! L H/I/Cl/ United States Patent "ice 3,120,951 STABELIZING DEVICE Roy L. Finch, 221 E. 6th St, Des Moines, Iowa Filed Oct. 10, 1961, Ser. No. 144,223 1 Claim. (Cl. 267-1) This invention relates to yieldable snubbers and more particularly to a stabilizing device used on such machinery as road conditioning implements having blade rnoldboards.

In such equipment it is most difficult to maintain the proper position of the blade. The blade moldboard is highly susceptible to bounce as it travels over the road surface due to the method of supporting and suspending of the blade from the vehicle chassis. The results are that not only is the efficiency of the blade greatly reduced, but the entire operation at hand is slowed down, the road surface is often damaged, the blade damaged, and greater power output is necessary to complete the task. Also, with such equipment, the controls must be changed when the device goes around corners.

Therefore, one of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a successful stabilizer for moldboards and like that yieldingly stabilizes the rnoldboard or like in both upward and downward movements.

A further object of this invention is to provide a moldboard or like stabilizer that may be easily and quickly installed.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a stabilizer that resists lateral stresses and strains.

Still further objects of my invention are to provide a yieldable stabilizing device that is economical in manufacture and durable in use.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangements, and combination, of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, specifically pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my device ready for use;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of my unit taken on line 22 of FIG. 1 and more fully illustrates its construction;

FIG. 3 is a reduced side view of my stabilizer installed and in use; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the unit taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

As before indicated, my stabilizer may be successfully used on any type of machinery requiring a unit of this character. It, however, is illustrated in the drawings as being imposed between the beam and the blade unit of road conditioning equipment. In the drawings I have used the numeral to designate the beam of a road plow or like and the numeral 11 its blade portion. The numeral v12 designates a stub shaft on the plow unit and the numeral .13 a stub shaft on the beam portion. The numeral 14 designates an arm having a split end embracing the stub shaft 13, and tightenable thereon by the bolt means 15 as shown in FIG. 3. The numeral 16 designates a stub shaft on the outer free end of the arm 14 and above the stub shaft 12. It is between the stub shafts 16 and 12 that I secure my device and which I will now describe in detail.

The numeral 17 designates a split head bearing embracing the stub shaft 16 and tightenable thereon by bolt means 18. The numeral 19 designates an outer cylinder having its upper end closed and operatively threaded onto the bearing head 17, as shown in FIG. 1. The

3,120,951 Patented Feb. 11, 1964 lower end 20 of this cylinder is closed except for a passageway 21 in its center. Slidably extending through the passageway 21 and into the cylinder 19 is a tube 22. The numeral 23 designates a split bearing head detachably embracing the shaft 12 and tightenable thereon by the bolt means 24. This bearing 23 has an upwardly extending shaft 25 adjustably slidaoly mounted in the tube 22. This shaft has a plurality of spaced apart transverse holes 26. The numeral 27 designates a bolt means extending through the lower end portion of the tube 22, and detachably selectively through one of the holes 26 of the shaft 25. Rigidly secured around the tube 22 and slidable in the cylinder 19 is a radially extending bearing ring 29. The numeral 30 designates an upper coil spring in the cylinder 19, embracing the tube 22, and having its upper end engaging the inside top of the cylinder 19 and its lower end engaging the top surface of the ring 29. The numeral 31 designates the lower coil spring in the cylinder 19, embracing the tube 22, and having its lower end engaging the inside bottom of the cylinder 19 and its upper end engaging the underside of the ring 29. It is important that these two coil springs 30 and 31 are installed under tension, i.e., the spring 30 will at all times be yieldingly pressing down on the ring 29, and the spring 31 will at all times be yieldingly pressing upwardly on the ring 29. A grease nipple or cup 32 extends through the upper wall area of the cylinder 19 and a like greasing means 33 extends through the lower wall area of the cylinder 19.

In use, and with the two springs 30 and 31 under tension, and both working against each other, the device will resiliently hold the blade 11 from both objectionable upward movement and downward movement. Thus, in operation the blade 11 will substantially float but in a most even horizontal plane. Obviously vertical adjustment of blade positioning is necessary and I accomplish this by the holes 26 and bolt means 27. By selecting the proper hole 26 for the bolt means 27, the blade will be maintained at the required elevation. My cylinder unit is sealed against unauthorized tampering by welding the upper and lower ends of the cylinder to the cylinder wall, as shown in FIG. 1.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of my stablizing device without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claim, any modified forms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may be reasonably included within their scope.

I claim:

In a stabilizing device, comprising,

(a) a cylinder,

(b) a bearing means secured to the upper end of said cylinder,

(c) a tube slidably extending into said cylinder from its lower end,

((1) a bearing ring in said cylinder and secured to said tube,

(e) a coil spring in said cylinder having its upper end operatively engaging the upper portion of said cylinder and its lower end engaging said bearing (f) a second coil spring in said cylinder having its lower end operatively engaging the lower portion of said cylinder and its upper end engaging said bearing ring,

(g) a shaft slidably extending into said tube and having a plurality of spaced apart transverse holes;

(It) said tube having a hole extending transversely through its lower end area,

(i) a detachable member extending through the hole in the lower end area of said tube and selectively through one of the holes of said shaft,

3 (j) and a bearing means on the outer lower end of 1,694,174 said shaft; 2,912,233 (k) said two coil springs being under substantial compression at all times.

References Cited in the file of this patent 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,1821% 849,146 Ledwinka Apr. 2, 1907 4 Greenwood Dec. 4, 1928 Gergely Nov. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS Australia of 1929 Australia Mar. 14, 1939 France Ian. 19, 1959 

